Japan to spend $1.83 million on ex-PM Abe’s state funeral

Japan has decided to hold a state funeral for Abe at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena on September 27

Japan will spend $1.83 million on a state funeral for slain former leader Shinzo Abe, the government said on Friday, despite growing opposition from a public angered by revelations of the ruling party’s ties to the Unification Church.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving but divisive premier, was shot and killed at an election rally on July 8, and although funeral services were held soon after, Japan has decided to hold a state funeral at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena on September 27.

The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an Abe protege, decided the state funeral would be paid for solely with state funds.

But opinion polls show persistent opposition to the idea. In the latest, published on Sunday, 53% of respondents were against a state funeral.

The public has been angered by revelations of ties between the ruling party and the Unification Church, which a vast majority of respondents to opinion polls feel has not been fully explained and has become a major headache for Mr. Kishida, dragging down his support rates.

The church, founded in South Korea in the 1950s and famous for its mass weddings, has over the years faced questions over how its solicits donations.

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